Net



R. J. STARR April 21, 1964 NET Filed Jan. 8, 1963 INVENTOR. ROBERTJ.l-STRR ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,129,632 NET Robert J. Starr,23 Edgerton St., East Hampton, Conn. Filed Stan. 8, 1963, er. No.259,102 Claims. (Cl. 87-42) This invention generally relates to nets andmore specifically to an improved net particularly suitable for use as asafety net.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvednet having an exceptionally high strength while at the same time beinglight in weight and high in fiexibility when compared With nets of equalstrength. Included in this object is the provision of such a net havinghigh energy absorbing characteristics and which will uniformlydistribute the loads applied thereto throughout its component meshmembers.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means forreinforcing nets and the like that may be economically and easilyincorporated into conventional nets either during or subsequent to themanufacture thereof and which will operate together with the nettingproper as an integrated unit to provide a net of high over-all strengthwithout impairing the elasticity of the same.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide animproved net that will obtain the above objects in a structure that maybe economically manufactured in various sizes and with standard nettingmaterials and that Will provide effective service over long periods ofrepeated and rugged use.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the`application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a Safety net embodying the presentinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a section of meshworkincluded in the net embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a Safety net embodying the presentinvention and generally designated 2 is shown as comprising an outer orperipheral frame 4 and a meshwork generally dcsignated 6 suitablysecured to the frame 4 to be supported thereby. The frame 4, which inthe illustrated embodiment is shown as having a square Shape, may beformed from bar or rope stock comprised of any suitable material.

The meshwork 6 is formed by a plurality of strands of rope respectivelydesignated by the reference numerals 7, 8, 9, 1G directed along diagonalpaths as indicated and interknotted as at 12 with adjacent strands toform a plurality of meshes of uniform size bounded by a series ofaligned mesh bars connected end to end and extending across the frame 4in one direction along a plurality of parallel rows and crossing asecond series of aligned mesh bars connected end to end extending acrossthe frame 4 along a plurality of parallel rows disposed at right anglesto the first series of parallel rows. The mesh strands which may beformed, for example, from standard net rope of any suitable materialhaving high strength and elastic properties, are arranged in theillustrated embodiment to extend at an oblique angle, preferably 45, tothe frame 4 as shown in FIG. 1 which arrangement permits a greaterlength of rope or webbing between its points of engagement with frame 4,thereby increasing the total energy absorption of the net as Well asmaking it easier to assemble the net.

3,12%),632 ICC Patented Apr. 21, 1964 In order to prevent displacementof the mesh bars, the latter are secured to each other at the points ofintersection 12 and in the shown embodiment this is accomplished bymeans of the suitably formed knots 14, as shown in FIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, a novel reinforcing means is providedin the net 2 comprising an elongated elastic and resilient member 2% ofhigh strength and elasticity for high energy absorption formed from anysuitable material such as nylon rope and the like, which member 2h ishelically wrapped or laced around and in engagement with the meshmembers without knotting and extends throughout thelongitudinaldimension thereof. Although in the illustrated embodimentevery other mesh bar of each set of paraliel rows is laced with 'areinforcing member 2h, it will be appreciated that this number andarrangement as well as the thickness of the reinforcing members 29 maybe varied depending on the amount of reinforcement required. Thereinforcing members 20 are suitably fiXed at their ends (not shown) tothe frame 4 while the intermediate portions of the reinforcing members2.0 are unknotted so as not to decrease the strength thereof. The numberof turns of the reinforcing members 2G? formed between twosuccessive-points of intersection 12 is preferably one turn, however,more or less of such turns ranging between one-half to one and one-halfmay be also employed if desired.

The mesh bars and the reinforcing members 20 are provided in the netsuch that they will be stretched to their maximum degree or to theirpoint of rupture at the same loading, or to state it differently, suchthat they will rupture simultaneously should the net be loaded beyondits limit of strength. In this manner, the full strength of both themesh bars and the reinforcing members 20 may be utilized for supportingloads. Although in the preferred embodiment this is accomplished bylacing the reinforcing members 2h into the net in a pretensioned state,it may also be accomplished, for example, by making the length of thereinforcing members 20 less than the length of the total length of thealigned mesh bars along a given path or by using dierent materialshaving diifering elongation rates in the formation of the mesh bars andthe reinforcing members 20.

In operation, when a load is placed or falls on the net 2, the load willbe uniformly distributed throughout the net to the mesh bars and to thereinforcing members 20, and both the mesh bars and the reinforcingmembers will act together as a balanced unit to support the load. Thisintegrated and balanced effect is provided by the novel method of lacingthe reinforcing members 20 to the mesh bars Whereby the reinforcingmembers 2h are held against lateral displacement across the net while atthe same time being positioned in engagement with the mesh bars so as toprovide for an effective distribution of the load therebetween.

Additionally, this novel method of lacing substantially minimizeschafing between the net mesh bars and the reinforcing members 26) since,as noted above, the reinforcing members 24) are fixed against lateraldisplacernent by those mesh bars around which the reinforcing members 20are respectively wrapped. Also, there will be little relativelongitudinal movement between each reinforcing member 20 and the meshbars about which it is wrapped since any loading will merely adjust theradius of their respective spirals to accommodate the loading, therebyto minimize relative longitudinal movement therebetween. Althoughchafing between the reinforcing member 20 md the net mesh bar aroundwhich the former is wrapped is appreciably avoided due to the limitedrelative displacement undergone by these members, insurance against suchchafing may be provided by forming the reinforcing mem- 3 ber 28 from amaterial having a low coefficient of friction such as nylon, employed inthe preferred embodiment.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention providesa simple, inexpensive, but nevertheless novel and unique method ofreinforcing a net without significantly increasing the Weight or size ofthe net or changing the mesh size and shape and further Withoutiinpairing the elastic and resilient qualities of the net and Withoutthe knotting of the reinforcing rope. Additionally, it will be seen thatthe net of the present invention may be constructed With standardmaterials and in various sizes and shapes including various meshworkpatterns to peculiarly suit the needs of the particular use to which thenet is appiied.

As wiil be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modificationsand adaptations of the structure above described will become readilyapparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a net including a pluraiity of rows of aligned mesh barsintersecting a second plurality of rows of aligned mesh bars and meansfastening the mesh bars together at points of intersection thereof,means reinforcing the rows of aligned mesh bars comprising elongatedreinforcing members formed of elastic material helically wrapped arounda preselected number of said rows of aligned mesh bars, said reinforcingmesh bars being unknotted intermediate the ends thereof and being heldin uniforrnly distributed position throughout the net by means of thewrapped relationship with the rows of members.

2. A net as defined in claim 1 Wherein each of said reinforcing membershas a length less than that of its associated row of aligned mesh barsto cause maximum stretching of said mesh bars and said reinforcingmembers to occur substantially simultaneously should they be excessivelyloaded.

3. A net as defined in claim 1 Wherein each of said reinforcing membershas a greater thickness than the mesh bar around which it is wrapped,and has a length relative to that of its associated row of aligned meshbars to cause the maximum stretching of said mesh bars and saidreinforcing members to occur substantially simultaneously should they beexcessively loaded.

4. A net as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of turns of saidreinforcing member around said mesh bars between two successive pointsof intersection ranges from one-half to one and one-half turns. 5. A netcomprising a first series of mesh ropes extend' mg in parallelrelationship With each other, a second series of mesh ropes extending inparallel relatiouship With each other and crossing the first series ofmesh ropes thereby forming a meshwork, means fastening the mesh ropes ofthe first and second series together at points of intersection thereof,and a third series of ropes in engagement with and helically Wrappedabout a plurality of said mesh ropes respectively, said third series ofropes being coextensive With said plurality of mesh ropes respectivelyand being held in position With respect to said plurality of mesh ropesonly through means of their helical Wrapping.

6. In a net including a first plurality of rows of aligned mesh barsintersecting a second plurality of rows of aligned mesh bars and meansfastening the mesh bars together at points of intersection thereof, aplurality of resilient reinforcing members respectively helicallywrapped around alternate rows of aligned mesh bars in both of said firstand second plurality of rows, said reinforcing members being unknottedintermediate the ends thereof.

7. A net as defined in claim 6 wherein the number of turns of saidreinforcing members around said mesh bars between two adjacent points ofintersection ranges from one-half to one and one-halfv 8. A net asdefined in claim 7 wherein said reinforcing members have a length lessthan that of their associated row of aligned mesh bars such that themesh bars and the reinforcing members will rupture substantiallySimultaneously should the net be excessively loaded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,346,195 Spalding Apr. ll, 1944 2,526,264 Neff Oct. 17, 1950 3,077,758Siciliano Feb. 19, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,598 France Mar. 2, 1914553,983 France Feb. 21, 1923 538,791 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1941

1. IN A NET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF ALIGNED MESH BARSINTERSECTING A SECOND PLURALITY OF ROWS OF ALIGNED MESH BARS AND MEANSFASTENING THE MESH BARS TOGETHER AT POINTS OF INTERSECTION THEREOF,MEANS REINFORCING THE ROWS OF ALIGNED MESH BARS COMPRISING ELONGATEDREINFORCING MEMBERS FORMED OF ELASTIC MATERIAL HELICALLY WRAPPED AROUNDA PRESELECTED NUMBER OF SAID ROWS OF ALIGNED MESH BARS, SAID REINFORCINGMESH BARS BEING UNKNOTTED INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND BEING HELDIN UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED POSITION THROUGHOUT THE NET BY MEANS OF THEWRAPPED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROWS OF MEMBERS.